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We Will Protect Your Child's Future

A juvenile arrest is a shocking experience for the parents, as well as the child. Your first phone call should be to an experienced criminal defense attorney. With offices in Little Rock, Fayetteville and Conway, the Law Firm stands ready to provide an aggressive defense for juveniles accused of crimes in Arkansas.

Categories Of Juvenile Crime In Arkansas

Many acts that adults engage in regularly — and legally — are crimes when a minor commits them. These are known as status crimes. But minors also are held accountable when they violate the general criminal laws. Such violations are sometimes referred to as delinquency crimes. Here are examples of each category:

Status offenses include curfew violation, truancy and running away from home. With these offenses, the juvenile courts tend to focus on rehabilitation.

Delinquency offenses include property crimes, such as trespassing and theft, as well as violent crimes, such as assault and rape. In some cases, the state will charge and try a juvenile offender as an adult.

When Can A Juvenile Be Charged As An Adult?

After two boys, aged 11 and 13, shot and killed five people in Jonesboro, Arkansas, in March 1998, legislators consulted child-development specialists and criminal lawyers, and came up with legislation that experts say is one of the most carefully drafted juvenile justice laws in the nation.

The legislation removes what had been a blanket prohibition against trying children 14 and younger as adults. It imposes major hurdles, however, if a prosecutor wants to charge a child younger than 13 as an adult. Through psychological tests, the prosecutor must show that the child understands the criminality of his or her conduct as well as the consequences of that conduct. As a result, young children are rarely tried as adults in Arkansas.

Consequences Of A Juvenile Conviction

A juvenile conviction can limit future employment, educational and financial aid opportunities. Our attorneys know that juvenile court is not a game and your child's future is important.

Call Us Today

At the Law Firm in Little Rock, our lawyers are available 24/7. We defend clients throughout Arkansas and our attorneys are dedicated to serve you. We offer flat fees for all cases.